Knit, Crochet and Natter 7: the School of Stitchcraft and Wizardry

[lazylinguist]

A thread for woolly crafters of all kinds, from beginner level to advanced sorcery!

Previous thread here

Just catching up on the thread - no proposal from Elton @CrochetBug

The hat is great lazy was your DH a willing model?!

I’m trying to finish some of my current WIPs so I can end the year sort of organised, I think my hand is ok enough to get back on the fair isle.

The hat is great lazy was your DH a willing model?!

Thank you! And yep, dh has no shame . He is unembarrassable, unfazed by the derision of others, and a natural show-off. All rather useful qualities in a teacher!

I have gone for a festive name change . Never done one before!

Right, I've started on a pair of socks for ds. Might also start on the wrist warmers I was planning to make for myself. Still going to make a version of dh's hat for me, but that's in the queue!

sounds like a perfect teacher @lazylinguist! I do think it helps to be a bit of a performer. In an unguarded moment once, I let slip that the one great quality a teacher needs is a big mouth. It didn't go across well but I do think it's sort of true. I have a naturally very quiet voice. It's not great on a teacher. Brilliant hat! I'm glad he likes it.

We are all prepared for online learning for Wales next week. 'My' boys are pretty good online so I'm not too worried. I've told them both I'll have them back in school straight away if they slack so if they want to do Physics in their PJ's they have to work for it.

@FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack that yarn is such beautiful colours. I love it!

@CrochetBug is that the drops yarn on that sock? Nice colours. Sorry you didn't like the yarn

@lucysmam congratulations on the interview. Well done for getting it.

My DH has wrapped by 20 balls of Drops Wish in 20 different parcels for Christmas so I can't show it you. I have got this grey for a scarf for me and the green for a an airy sort of jumper. I'm still ploughing my way through my blue scarf. I don't know why it's going so blooming slowly. I'm only halfway!

Oh ! And hello everyone else including newbies

@MerylSqueak no, this wasn't the Drops yarn. The Drops was gorgeous and made the loveliest softest sock. Which then felted when I washed it . At some point I'll make another one and use them as slippers. And then make something that doesn't need washing with the rest of the yarn, I've already made a pair of gloves.

The more recent sock was some hobbii yarn. The thickness is all over the place and its not very soft. I'm going to wash it and see what happens.

Ooh that yarn looks beautifully soft, @MerylSqueak! at the individually wrapped yarn balls.

I'm making ds' socks with a ball of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock Yarn I've had for ages, in a blue mix. Fine yarn, so they'll take me a while! I haven't made any chunkier socks yet, even though there are chunky ones in my trusty sock book. Must do some - they'll be so much quicker!

Those of you who go away for Christmas, do you take your knitting/crochet with you? We'll be at PIL's for 3 nights, so I'm definitely taking mine! We are spending Christmas Day with PIL and dh's brother, his wife and her family, which we've never done before and we barely know her family. SIL is an absolutely lovely person, but I gather that there are a few tricky dynamics going on amongst her folks... plus teen kids that I hope my dc get on with ok. Eek! Oh and I'll be driving, so no wine for me.

This will be the 4th time I've tried to reply to the thread over the last couple of days. Either Mumsnet is playing up or my phone is! Adblock on and fingers crossed...

That green drops wool Meryl 😍 I love it! Your husband is taking a risk separating your from your wool like that

Nice name change lazy 😀

I'm frantically trying to finish a couple of gift knits at the moment. Might be a Christmas eve effort for one of them I think!

I think it's Mumsnet @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack, I've thought it a few times this past week 🙄

@MerylSqueak the 20, individually wrapped, balls of yarn is something my kids would do...then giggle away to themselves about 🤣

@crazyjinglist I'd take something with me, then it's there if I want it. Not that I go anywhere, but that's what I'd do 🤷‍♀️

I've eyed up the Hobbii twirls (I think they might have changed name) a few times @CrochetBug. Which one was it you used?

I haven't done much this week - half a green mantis & it's head is complete though. I did do two legs but they came out different sizes 🙈 not entirely sure how/why because they were done in one sitting, so I'll re-do them before the 28th.

Christmas jumper for the tree outside my house.

Cool Peckham!

I'm knitting a really tiny Christmas jumper on 2mm needles at the moment, then just Kevin's hair and hat to do. Then if I have time, I might make some tiny tins of paint on strings.

Hope everyone is keeping well!

peckham that’s great. There’s a knitter/crocheter near me who keeps putting seasonal letterbox toppers out.

DH went back to work last week, he was meant to be in the office but their guidance changed back to WFH. He opted to stay home and most of his team went in. Surprise, surprise someone in his team tested positive for Covid and most of them were in on the same day. They’re now dropping like flies! One of his colleagues has tested positive, their kids are with their dad for Christmas and they now has to self isolate by themselves over Christmas. So I’ve made a self-isolation owl for them to keep them a bit of company.

Oh that's a shame InTheNight, thank goodness your DH didn't go in though!

It seems madness to go in if you can avoid it at the moment. I actually got a ping on the app from the booster queue of all places! I know it was there because it was the only place I went on the day I was exposed to the positive case. Luckily I've had a negative PCR and then negative LFT'S every day since. I was properly raging though, I bet it was the arse behind me who had a cough and was practically climbing into my backpack...

That looks great @Peckhampalace!

The self isolation owl is very cute InTheNight

We’ve been having an early Christmas as DD1 is going to stay with her boyfriends parents in Poland and they are flying there tomorrow evening. It will be strange as it’s the first Christmas Day ever without one of the DCs but we did make sure we had a full Christmas dinner on Sunday

Flavia I know a few people who have been pinged or tested positive after getting their booster. I think people are turning up when they’re symptomatic thinking the booster will help when actually they’re taking down the whole centre. I’ve got my booster today and DH has his on Thursday so I’m expecting to come down with it. Fortunately we aren’t travelling anywhere. My parents are hoping to visit between Christmas and new year with my grandad and siblings for them to see DD. I’ve accepted that’s probably not going to happen though!

Nicecardigan in normal times we have early Christmas with family as they’re always spread out. I love early Christmas. Glad you got to spend some time with DD and the family now. Hopefully Christmas is still nice for you without her!

I've been avoiding everything the past 10 days to limit the possibility of messing up our holiday. We've made it now, although a last minute trip to sort out a headlight bulb that had blown meant we were way behind schedule packing so have only managed to come away with red and light blue crochet cotton grabbed quickly from the kitchen table as we were leaving. I see crochet Christmas hearts and snowflakes in my future

We're now done with any mingling until we head down south on Christmas Eve. We all went to my choir concert last night, which I guess was a bit of a risk (I was quite surprised they didn't cancel it tbh). However, it was a much reduced choir and a small, spread-out audience in a big (cold!) airy church. And cases up here are only about a third of what they are in a lot of areas. Still, I bought a turkey in Aldi yesterday and put it in the freezer just in case our Christmas plans get scuppered!

I'd recommend early Christmas too InTheNightWeWillWishbut but it does mean that the "eating" starts earlier! DD1 and her boyfriend have their negative Covid tests for their flights now so they can relax. I'm sure we'll still have a good Christmas although I have no idea if the extra things we booked like the panto in London will take place.

BIL and SIL have just decided not to visit PILs for Christmas as planned which is a bit annoying as we rejigged all our plans around that (they normally all come to us) but at least we have been to see PILS recently. Not sure why they can't reduce their mingling like crazyjinglist as there is just them and a toddler.

I'm just really hoping that there won't be new restrictions immediately after Christmas, as we've got dsis and her family coming to stay with us for 3 nights from the 30th (we won't see them over Christmas itself). That will be the most fun bit of the Christmas period for us and I'll be gutted if they can't come!

My yarn parcel arrived a bit earlier than expected for my temperature blanket. It’s a pity I can’t start on it yet!

Ooh lovely yarn, @NiceCardigan!

Now boys and girls, this is why we have to be careful with the javelins in PE...

Nice colours NiceCardigan

Glad you still managed a yarnie Go Bag Tiz enjoy your holiday!

I went to the big hospital clinic to get it done sooner InTheNight and it was so busy, should have went to the clinic my health centre were running today instead, they're great at queue management. Will keep my fingers crossed for everyone to stay ping and covid free!

Flavia

Brilliant @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack

I'm crossing my fingers that you all get the Christmas you want.